Adjustable arch support



June 8, 1937. w. H: HUBBARD ADJUSTABLE ARCH SUPPORT Filed Sept. 28, 1936 Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Anmsmnu: Anon surroa'r Walter Il. Hubbard, Beverly, Masa. Application september zs, 193e, serial No. masso s claims. (c1. ses- 71) 'I'his invention consists in an arch support having adjustable pad members which may be freely positioned to meet the requirements of the individual foot and then fixed in their adjusted positions. No two feet are exactly alike and therefore supporting pads built into shoes as permanent xtures are wrong in principle and unless individually fitted are as likely to harm as to help the wearer. The support of my invention is designed to underlie the foot and to have component pad members which may be relatively adjusted within a Wide range and with a high degree of iiexlbility to selected locations beneath the foot. For example, one component of my novel arch supporter consists in a pad designed to support the metatarsal arch which is adjustable both longitudinally and angularly so that it may be located exactly under the particular metatarsal head which requires support in the foot under consideration. Another component part of the support consists in a pad for supporting the longitudinal arch of the foot and this is arranged for longitudinal adjustment and for adjustment as to height. Further, and as herein shown, the longitudinal arch may be combined or not as desired with an extension wing for tting and supporting the inside shank of the wearers foot.

The various parts above enumerated are assembled and adjustably incorporated in the support and when once properly positioned may be secured permanently in place. To this end the support'of my invention includes a flexible sock lining blank to the under side4 of which is attached' a flexible metal strip and upon this the 35 pad members are movably mounted. One satisfactory manner of holding them permanently in adjusted position consists in providing the under face of the sock lining with a coating of adhesive to the under face of the sock lining thus holding.

them securely in adjusted position.

The novel arch support of my invention pre- 45 sents many important advantages not realized in other supports heretofore available. It may be tted by the wearer or the shoe salesman to meet the requirements of the individual foot, and may be reiitted to accommodate changed 50 conditions in the shoe or the root. rais of light weight and so overcomes the objection to metal supports. It does not injure the shoe in which it is worn and can be shifted from one pair to another. By its ilexibility of adjustment it may 55 be advantageously employed for a foot not con- 'thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the support,

Fig. 2 is a view of the support as seen from the under side, and

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the parts which are assembled in making up the longitudinal pad.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the metal strip.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of a longitudinal pad of modled design.

The pad illustrated comprises a blank Il l of thin flexible leather shaped to fit the inside of a shoe as a sock lining, and to extend substantially to the ball line. A thin hat metal strip II is secured to the under side of the blank I0 at its rear end by attened eyelets or rivets I2 which are spaced so as to clear the os calcis bone of the wearers foot. It will be noted that the strip II extends continuously to the rear end of the blank Ill and accordingly serves to hold it always in a ilat condition during wear and prevent it from curling up. 'I'he strip II is flexible in i'latfwise bending but practically inflexible to edgewise bending and is located preferably in line with the longitudinal axis of the sock lining.

'I'he longitudinal pad comprises a semi-circular pocket I3 of leather or the like which is open at its outer edge for the reception of a semi-circular pad I4 of felt or the like. The pad I4 is interchangeable With similar pads of varying thicknesses so that by inserting the appropriate pad or pads like shims in the pocket I3 the effective height of the longitudinal arch may be regulated. The third member of the longitudinal pad comprises a molded leather piece I5. This has a semi-circular portion shaped to t Within the pocket I3 and an upwardly curving wing adapted to fit the inner longitudinal arch curve of the wearers foot. It may be employed or not as desired in connection with the longitudinal pad and is shown in its operative position in Fig. 1. The pocket I3 is provided with a pair of spaced parallel slots to receive the metal strip II and with a diamond shaped opening I6 through which are rendered visible the ilgures of a size scale I1 which is placed on the under surface of the strip II. It will be understood thatin fitting the support, the longitudinal pad may be slipped back and forth on the metal strip I i until it accurately supports the longitudinal arch of the wearers foot, the scale I1 thereupon indicates lts position in terms of shoe sizes.

'I'he metatarsal pad I8 is roughly triangular or oval' in outline and built up to the proper thickness from superposed layers of felt, rubber or the like and a leather backing. The leather backing is slitted to receive the end of the metal strip Ii which thus passes into the interior of the pad, its end lying between the component layers thereof. The pad is adjustable lengthwise upon the strip Il which may be slipped various distances through the slit. The friction of the strip in passing through the slit is suiiicient to hold the pad in whatever position of adjustment igmay be set thereon. The strip is provided with a second scale I9 for indicating the lengthwise position of the metatarsal pad and, as shown in Fig. 2, the scale indicates that the pad has been adjusted for a size 7 foot, although it will be understood that the position of the pad is determined from the foot to be itted and not from the scale or the shoe. 'I'he pad I8 may be made in right and left shapes for right and left foot supports.

The pad i8 is also arranged for angular or transverse adjustment upon the end of the metal strip Ii, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that it may be located beneath any one of the ve metatarsal heads on the foot. 'Ihis adjustment may be made about an axis intersecting the slot in the under side of the pad. The forward end of the strip Ii is longitudinally slitted and the arms thus formed are turned at right-angles and sharpened to form a pair of downwardly extending prongs which tend to hold the pad in position once it has been adjusted by sticking into the material thereof. The prongs are clearly shown in the forward end of the strip il as represented in Fig. 4. y

The under face of the blank I0 is provided `with a coating of adhesive 2i and this may be covered temporarily by sheet material 20, such as Holland cloth, which may be stripped from the under side of the blank after the pads have been adjusted so that the blank may be' made to adhere to the pads and hold them permanently in position. A cement of the character of latex which preserves its tacky characteristics for a long time is satisfactory for this purpose and may, if desired be stripped and reused morethanonce if necessary. Alternatively the upperface of the pads may be coated with adhesive and temporarily protected instead of the under face of the blank I0.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modied form of longitudinal pad in which the upwardly curving wing is formed as an integral part of the pocket. In this case the cover portionll of the pad is substantially circular or oval in outline. Approximately one half constitutes the upper cover of the pocket 22 while the other part is curved to t the inner longitudinal arch surface of the wearers foot. The pocket 22 is, as before. open at its outer edge so that illler pads of dierent thicknesses may be inserted as required. It will be understood that the pad shown in Fig. 5 may be threaded upon the exible metal strip Ii and provided with an opening shaped to act as a gauge line in cooperation with the longitudinal scale.

'I'he forward and side edges of the blank lil may be skived to avoid the formation of ridges under the foot of the wearer. A graduated series of curves, indicated in Fig. 2 by the gures i0, 9, 8 etc. may appear on the surface of the Holland cloth, indicating where the blank i0 should be cut in adapting for smaller sizes, and the side edges of the blank may be also trimmed ii necessary.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided an arch support which may be supplied and kept in stock in perhaps three sizes, for men, women and children, and which will serve to iit accurately the feet of the individual wearer, taking care of whole sizes, half sizes orl any fraction of a size by its adjustable features.

The support herein shown, moreover, may be tted accurately to any foot needing both metatarsal and longitudinal arch support. For such use the support consists of a flexible sock lining having a thin ilexible metal strip. which in itself is of no arch supporting value, and upon which is plainly and accurately marked both the metatarsal and longitudinal size scale. Adjustably threaded on this metal strip are both metatarsal and longitudinal arch units. Alternatively the arch support can be tted accurately to any foot needing support in the longitudinal arch only. For this purpose the metatarsal pad and the part of the metal strip that is used for metatarsal adjustment and the surplus forepart of the sock lining may be eliminated. Still further the arch support can be'fitted accurately to any foot needing metatarsal arch support only, and when used for this purpose the longitudinal unit may be removed from the assembly.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. An adjustable arch support comprising. a flexible sock lining having an adhesive under face, a at strip underlying the sock lining and being flexible in flat-wise bending and two separate pads mounted on said strip beneath the sock lining for independent adjustment to selected locations beneath the foot of the wearer and adapted to be retained in their adjusted positions by attachment'to said adhesive face of the sock lining.

2. An adjustable arch support comprising a iiexible sock lining having an adhesive under face, a flexible metal strip secured to. said sock lining and extending beneath its adhesive face, and two pads both carried by said strip and separately adjustable thereon to selected positions beneath the foot of the wearer, and when so adjusted being held in position by the adhesive face of the sock lining.

3. An adjustable arch support comprising a flexible foot-shaped blank having a at metal strip secured to its under side at one end only, a longitudinal arch pad threaded upon said strip and adjustablethereon and having one side open for the reception of a illling pad, the strip being provided with a scale to indicate the position of the pad in terms of shoe sizes, and means for ilxing said pad in its adjusted position.

4. An adjustable arch support comprising a foot-shaped cover sheet having an adhesive unmounted on the'said strip for adjustment. both 75 of said pads 'being adapted to be held permanent- 1y in their adjusted positions by the adhesive upon removal of said Holland cloth covering.

5. An adjustable arch support comprising a sock lining piece having a thin ilat metal strip disposed beneath its longitudinal axis and carrying a scale of shoe sizes on its exposed face, a longitudinal arch pad slotted to receive said strip, having an opening in its lower face through which said scale is exposed to view and an opening in its outer edge, and a removable member having an upwardly curved wing extension shaped to be inserted in the edge opening of said pad.

6. An adjustable arch support comprising a sock lining piece having a thin at metal strip secured beneathsit and forked at its forward end to present a down-turned prong, a metatarsal pad adjustable longitudinally and laterally on the end of said strip, and a longitudinal pad adjustable upon the intermediate part of said strip, an adhesive surface being interposed between said pads and sock lining.

WALTER H. HUBBARD. 

